The German attack on the Witboois at Hornkranz, Namibia, April 1893

Abstract

For many, when the Namibian struggle for liberation is mentioned, the struggle forliberation by the South West Africa People’s Organization (SWAPO) comes to mind.For others to the south of Namibia, it recalls images of a border war and incursionsinto Angola to ‘stop SWAPO’, the latter seen as a communist pawn directed and armedby the Soviet Union and Cuba. More than that is seldom asked about or seen in termsof the bigger historical collage. The brutal era of German colonisation is habituallyoverlooked. The Namibians’ struggle for liberation lasted nearly a century. It startedthrough, for example, the massacre or battle, depending on your view, in April 1893.This previously poorly researched story about which little is written is told in this article.

Keywords

• namibia (liberation struggle)
• german colonisation
• hendrik witbooi
• hornkranz (the battle of)
• german west africa
• witboois
• arms traders